Authors Interviewing Their Characters: Sandi Ward And Lily The Cat

Interview with Lily Anderson

I’m here with Lily Anderson, the cat narrator of my new novel, Something Worth Saving. Hi, Lily, and thanks for being here!

(Silence.)

Um…Lily? Hey, sweet girl. Hello?

Are you talking to me?

Yes, Lily. That’s why we’re here. We’re doing an interview, remember?

What?

You do realize that this is exactly why cats get a reputation for being aloof, don’t you? You’re totally ignoring me.

I’m not ignoring you. I was just thinking, and you interrupted me.

Okay. Let’s start over. (Looks at notes.) So, Lily, thanks for being here!

Sure. (Licks front paw.) I mean…I don’t have a choice about it. I have to be here, don’t I?

Seeing as you’re a fictional character and a figment of my imagination, yes. Yes, you do. So Lily, introduce yourself!

Fine. My name is Lily. My full name is Lily J. Potter, but the humans only call me that when I’m being very naughty.

I live with the Anderson family, and my favorite person in the world is Charlie. Charlie is the baby of the family because he’s the youngest of three, but he’s getting tall now that he’s fourteen years old. His older sister Victoria and brother Kevin are both nice to me, but I love Charlie the most.

How did you end up with the Anderson family?

Charlie and Dad adopted me from the shelter. I remember the day they picked me out. Charlie has amazing green eyes and the kindest face. When he looked into my cage, I hoped he would choose me.

Were you worried Charlie might not adopt you?

I wasn’t sure. The truth is, I have a funny way of walking because the first person I knew in life was a terrible man who kicked me. My leg never healed quite right. But when Charlie and Dad saw me walk, they didn’t reject me. In fact, they were fine with it. Dad gave Charlie a small smile, and I remember him saying that I was a little different—and that it was a good thing.

It made me realize that maybe something was a little different about Charlie, too. I knew we’d be a perfect match. And we are!

So where is Dad now? Rumor is he doesn’t live with you anymore.

Mom kicked him out. Can you believe that? The nerve of her!

I really wish she’d tell him everything is okay now, and let him move back in. He obviously wants to come home. Ugh. It’s frustrating. Sometimes I don’t understand humans at all.

You seem a little stressed out. Are you okay?  

No. I’m very worried about Charlie. I’ve seen bruises on him, and I know someone is bullying him. It’s not fair! I wish I could do something about it, but I don’t even know who’s hurting him.

Do you have any suspects?

Ha. I have one primary suspect. At first, I assumed it must be someone at Charlie’s school, but now I think it’s someone a little closer to home. Charlie’s sister Victoria has a new boyfriend named Aidan, and he’s vile. He has an evil look about him. It’s as if he’s the type of person who tortures small animals just for fun, you know?

Wow, that’s quite a judgment you’ve made there. What is this assumption based on?

I don’t know. A hunch, I guess. The fact is, Aidan isn’t nice to Charlie. He’s never been friendly to anyone in this family, except Victoria. I see the way he looks at her. The poor thing is in love. It’s almost rather sweet…but it doesn’t change anything about the fact that I’d like to be rid of him.

But if Aidan loves Victoria, why in the world would he hurt Charlie?

You’re the author, so you tell me! Do I have it right? Is he the bully?

I can’t tell you. I cannot go into any of that. That would be a big spoiler.

Oh! Fine. Go ahead and play God. See if I care. You humans seem to think you’re the boss sometimes. Well, tell me this—humans feed me, brush me, give me treats and take care of me. Doesn’t that make ME the boss?

Yes. Yes, it does. So what was all that racket going on at your house earlier?

Oh. Well. It was the police. Charlie skipped out of school early again. I can’t say it was for a very good reason. He went to his friend Karen’s house and they dyed his hair blond. Can you imagine?

He smells rather strange with those chemicals in his hair. At first, I hardly recognized him. But I’m getting used to it. I’ve decided he looks rather beautiful and striking.

So do I. I love Charlie as much as you do.

I know you do. (Yawns.) Frankly, this interview has been completely exhausting. What do you say, should we have a nap?

Yes, we definitely should. Thanks for the interview, Lily!

—

Sandi grew up in Manchester-by-the-sea, MA, and now lives on the Jersey Shore with her family. She’s the author of stories about dysfunctional families told from the point of view of the family cat. Sandi received her MA in Creative Writing from NYU and works as a copywriter at an ad agency. She has a rescue cat named Winnie, who approves of this message.
Her latest novel for Kensington Books, SOMETHING WORTH SAVING, is available now.

www.sandiwardbooks.com

—

SOMETHING WORTH SAVING, Sandi Ward

Sandi Ward’s shrewdly observed, funny, and wonderfully touching novel tells of a fractured family, a teenage boy, and a remarkable cat whose loyalty knows no bounds . . .

A boy and his cat. It’s an unconventional friendship, perhaps, but for Charlie and Lily, it works beautifully. It was Charlie who chose Lily from among all the cats in the shelter. He didn’t frown, the way other humans did, when he saw her injured back leg, the legacy of a cruel previous owner. Instead, Charlie insisted on rescuing her. Now Lily wants to do the same for Charlie.

She’s the only one who’s seen the bruises on Charlie’s body. If she knew who was hurting him, she’d scratch their eyes out. But she can’t fix this by herself. Lily needs to get the rest of the family to focus on Charlie—not easy when they’re wrapped up in their own problems. Charlie’s mother kicked his father out weeks ago and has a new boyfriend who seems charming, but is still a stranger. Oldest son Kevin misses his father desperately. Victoria, Charlie’s sister, also has someone new in her life, and Lily is decidedly suspicious. Even Charlie’s father, who Lily loves dearly, is behaving strangely.

Lily knows what it’s like to feel helpless. But she also knows that you don’t always have to be the biggest or the strongest to fight fiercely for the ones you love . . .

Praise for Sandi Ward’s The Astonishing Thing
 
“A beautiful and touching look into the intricacies of marriage and family life, all seen through the loving and unique perspective of the family pet.”
—Modern Cat
 
“The Astonishing Thing feels like a bit of a miracle and we all could use a miracle.” 
—Holly Chamberlin, author of The Summer Nanny
 

BUY THE BOOK HERE

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, Interviews